Landfills Just Became the Backbone of U.S. Biogas - What the 2026 Data Means for Your Site

The American Biogas Council's new Biogas in America 2026 data is out, and one comparison tells the story: the nation's 598 landfill gas capture systems represent fewer than a quarter of the 2,580 operating biogas facilities in the U.S., yet they account for roughly three-quarters of all biogas captured for energy.

That's more than 559 billion cubic feet of landfill gas captured every year. Run the math and it works out to over a million standard cubic feet flowing every minute of every day. Enough energy, by ABC's count, to meet the annual needs of nearly 3.9 million U.S. households.

598 sites. Most of the industry's output. That's not a niche. That's the backbone.

The Momentum is All Pointed at RNG

Developers brought 20 new landfill gas projects online in 2025, and every single one of them was built to convert captured gas into renewable natural gas. Since the end of 2020, 93 new LFG projects have come online, an 18.4% increase, and all but nine produce RNG.

The result: landfills now supply 64% of U.S. RNG, delivering approximately 143.7 million MMBtu of pipeline-quality gas annually. Total investment in landfill gas facilities has reached nearly $14.9 billion, including close to $1 billion in projects that entered service in 2025 alone.

The direction of travel isn't subtle. When the market builds 20 new facilities in a year and all 20 are RNG, that's not a trend line. It's a consensus.  

The Number Worth Sitting With

Here's the finding in the report that deserves more attention than it's getting: 73% of operating landfill gas facilities still generate electricity or produce thermal energy. And those facilities hold over half of all biogas captured at landfills, more than 280 Bcf a year flowing through systems built for a different market.

For some of those sites, electricity or heat is still exactly the right answer. Power purchase agreements with years left to run, favorable interconnection, gas volumes or quality that don't pencil for upgrading, there are plenty of legitimate reasons a gas-to-energy plant stays a gas-to-energy plant.

But for others, that's the biggest untapped value in the sector. The same molecules earning electricity-market rates today could be earning RNG value tomorrow, and the difference over a facility's remaining life can be substantial.

And the opportunity isn't limited to conversions. Based on EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program classifications, ABC identifies approximately 705 additional landfills still suitable for gas development, sites that could yield as much as 455 Bcf of additional biogas annually. 

So Which One is Your Site?

That's not a question a press release can answer. It's a question of:

• Gas flow — current volumes, projected decline curves, and wellfield performance
• Gas quality — methane content, contaminants, and what upgrading will actually cost
• Interconnection — pipeline proximity, utility requirements, and realistic timelines
• Honest economics — RNG revenue scenarios against your existing contracts, capital costs, and operating realities, without the rosy assumptions

That evaluation is the work ESI has been doing since 2007 as a team that doesn't just study these facilities but engineers, builds, and operates them. We've supported more than 100 biogas utilization projects across development, design, construction, and O&M, which means our conversion assessments are grounded in what actually happens after commissioning, not just what the pro forma says.

If your site is one of the 73% still generating electricity or heat, the 2026 data is a good reason to take a fresh look at the numbers. We'll tell you straight if converting doesn't make sense and show you exactly why if it does.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are more landfill gas projects being developed for RNG?
RNG can allow landfill gas to be upgraded to pipeline-quality fuel and sold into markets that may offer stronger long-term value than electricity or thermal generation. The economics depend on site-specific factors such as gas volume, gas quality, interconnection, capital requirements, and existing contracts.

Does every landfill gas-to-energy project make sense to convert to RNG?
No. Some sites may still be better suited for electricity or thermal energy because of existing power purchase agreements, favorable interconnection, gas quality, project scale, or conversion costs. A site-specific evaluation is needed before making that decision.

What should be evaluated before converting a landfill gas project to RNG?
Key considerations include current and projected gas flow, methane concentration, contaminants, wellfield performance, pipeline proximity, interconnection requirements, upgrading costs, operating expenses, and expected RNG revenue.

What is landfill gas upgrading?
Landfill gas upgrading removes moisture, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, siloxanes, and other contaminants so the gas can meet the quality requirements for pipeline injection or other end uses.

How can ESI help evaluate a landfill gas-to-RNG conversion?
ESI supports biogas projects across development, engineering, construction, commissioning, and O&M. That operating experience can help evaluate whether a conversion is technically practical and economically justified based on real facility conditions rather than assumptions alone.